Chapter 11
Gorbrin, as head boy, felt it behoved him to set a region where the cotton fish were permitted to swim; and proceeded to do so, as well as setting a prefects imposition on the singers of 'American Breakfast' for infernal cheek, since even if it was beneath the dignity of the headmaster to take any notice it was NOT beneath the dignity of the head boy.
The Stripy Marauders listened meekly and set off to inscribe all the silly words of the silly song – Gorbrin's description – correctly for him.
Gorbrin wanted the Stripy Marauders well and truly squashed as he was about to begin brewing Felix Felicis.
It was a very difficult piece of brewing and required among other things an enchanted potion to start off with to catch and store sunlight; and there was precious little of that about. He would set his sunlight-catching bottle on the roof and check it periodically in its specially made prism-cut vial. Felix could be brewed quicker in summer because of this; but he might not have time before the exam. He had prepared a second vial – just in case – to set up in the last week or two before the exam if anything happened to this batch; or the sunlight was not strong enough.
David saw him with the vial in his hands.
"Weak sunlight this time of year" he commented "I suppose you weren't allowed to get it going in the holidays?"
"No sir" said Gorbrin.
"I'm happy to grant you permission to apparate to the south of France and ask Madam Maxime to set it up on HER roof; I'll give you a letter for her if you like" he said.
Gorbrin beamed.
"Oh would you, sir? That would be splendid!" he said.
"Word to the wise" said David "Hide it; and maybe set up a dummy one too. I don't THINK there are any egregious blood snobs in Beauxbatons – they're too laid back – but you know, some foreigners can be odd. Look at that boy Achille Crouch-Villeneuve."
"Not if I can help it I shan't" growled Gorbrin "The git used the cruciatus curse on our Bella; and he was none so pleasant even to members of his own house. Glad I don't have a problem brat like HIM in my tenure as head boy. I'll take your advice, sir."
"I'm happy enough for you to use my first name when we're private, Gorbrin" said David "That goes for all my prefects. Oh, pass the word, I'm having a tea party for the prefects on Friday after school; I'll have you all individually for tea too but I want to run some ideas past you all first that I need your help to enforce."
"Sir" said Gorbrin. "I WILL put this one on the roof; and I'll take my second vial to France" he decided.
David nodded. It was like Gorbrin to be cautious; and well he might.
oOoOo
Gorbrin found himself enveloped in the massive embrace of Olympe Maxime after he had apparated to just outside the school and asked to see the headmistress.
His beautiful speech and Hogwarts uniform had seen him quickly to the headmistress' office and he handed her the letter David had written; hence the embrace.
"Daveed Frasair ees such a clever boy – no MAN – to sink of zat!" she beamed "Of COURSE you must use our sun; and what a clevair potioneer you are to brew ze Feleex for your ELF – no, NEWT you Eengleesh call zem!"
"What ARE your exams called, please, Madame Maxime?" asked Gorbrin, interested.
"Our lower level exams we call ze ELM, ze Examination Lycée Magique; the upper level, ze ELF is ze Examination Lycée Formidable" said Madame Maxime.
"And much nicer acronyms than the pedestrian German ZP and ZH" said Gorbrin "Have you a five-way lower level exam like our DOE and the new German ZAP?"
"Ah, bah, zeze Germans!" Madame Maxime dismissed the whole nation with a wave of the hand "Indeed yes, we 'ave ze EGG, ze Examination Gagner Général. We 'ave too the discretionary ability in our exam board to issue zis new exam where students 'ave failed most of zere ELMs so zat zey may 'ave some qualification; and of course credit for zoze exams zat WERE of sufficient grade."
"That's not a half bad idea; I'll take it back to Professor Fraser and see if he can't get our exam board to accept it" said Gorbrin "Most of our lower grade students MANAGE five OWLs but they don't always pass all the core subjects; a DOE to show they've covered them would be a really good idea."
Madam Maxime beamed.
"I should 'ave thought to mention it in ze symposium" she said. "Now come wiz me and I shall take you to our roof for your bottled sunlight."
oOoOo
The French Chateau's roof was less easily accessible and explorable than Hogwarts; and Gorbrin was glad. It made it less likely that anyone would find his vial by accident. He set up a number of anti-tamper spells in any case. He chanted softly; anyone who tried to touch it who was not of his blood would first get a shock akin to the instinctive protective charm; and if they persisted would find their fingers turned into celery. And no way to turn them back without a half competent chanter either.
He set up the second one with as much care, the one that was the dummy; and made sure that this was the one that was most obvious if anyone came poking about.
"You are most careful" said Madam Maxime.
"I do not rule out either saboteurs of a goblin's work, or daft-like juniors" said Gorbrin "It's why there is the warning shock first as should deter any silly children. Thank you very much, Madame Maxime; I must be going now."
"Ah no, surely you will stay and 'ave dinnair wiz my students?" cried Madam Maxime "We must show ze 'ospitality to our Eenglish friends, and ze Eenglish head boy!"
Gorbrin would have preferred to have gone home; but politics dictated so he accepted politely and asked that he might fire talk to Professor Fraser to check that he had his permission.
David was happy for Gorbrin to meet French students socially; so Gorbrin hid the sigh, smiled nicely to Madam Maxime with his best bow and was taken inexorably to meet French sixth formers.
They seemed mostly harmless; taken aback, perhaps, to meet a highly educated goblin, and Head Boy at that; but most of them had heard of Lucius' goblin wife and his adoption of her children and treated him with politeness and, it has to be said on the part of some of the girls, coy flirtation.
Fortunately Gorbrin was used to the concept that his name and wealth gave him a sex appeal to make up – in the estimation of many girls – for him being a goblin; and fenced and flirted back with the insouciance of any Malfoy.
He was not unused to French food; Lucius was inclined to either dine out with his family from time to time or to hire in a foreign cook of one kind or another to ring the changes and to give his elves an evening off. Anyone else, of course, would send out for a takeaway; but that was Lucius for you.
oOoOo
Gorbrin returned to find that nothing of major note had occurred during his absence unless you counted the Lifemunchers changing into bathing costumes with snorkels to use hovering charms and attempting – with more or less success – to swim around the great hall.
Professor Flitwick had happened upon them and praised their hovering charms and dispersed them firmly.
Flitwick was actually delighted that first years should manage such competent hovering charms, and too praised loudly the ingenuity of the children in trying to charm the air to make it act enough like water to swim through it, and some of them actually succeeding!
The ones who were succeeding were, unsurprisingly, the four blooded – Sevvy, Tarquin, Candace and Naomi who shared ideas naturally; and Salazar who was just talented. The rest had thrashed wildly, giggling.
oOoOo
The Friday tea party came around and the prefects gathered curiously in the headmaster's office, having been given the password for the week, which was the Chuddleigh Cannons. They drank tea and ate sandwiches and cakes served by the headmaster's wife; and David chatted genially and refused to discuss anything serious until they had finished tea. Then they sprawled cheerfully on cushions and chairs– it was a squash getting all forty in – and the new headmaster began.
"As you all know I have been teaching in Prince Peak for some years" he said. "Professor Snape inherited some physically delicate children there; and instituted a system he had long considered anyway, whereby schoolwork was NOT to be done by hook or by crook at all hours. Prep is to be done only in designated periods; and never after a certain time at night, as set by age. Naturally, Astronomy is outside this rule because of needing the night time for stars; but in general, Professor Snape has found that he has students who learn better and are more alert for resting at the proper time. I recall, as a pupil at Hogwarts, that one might always come upon someone scribbling away at odd times in the common room or even the bedroom. I want to ban the bringing of school books into common rooms and bedrooms and designate some of the classrooms therefore as form and prep rooms, with lockers for school books. I will not ban reading around the subject in extra library books or learned magazines in the common room; particularly in light of the fact that there ARE plenty of people who consider that the likes 'Transfigurations Today' is light reading; I confess I'm one of them" he added. There was laughter.
"And 'Divination – Tomorrow!' counts as fiction" quipped Bella
"Alas, often enough too true" said David. "The point is, I'm not banning light research in the comfort of the common room but I want all schoolwork done in a school environment. And I can't do it without the co-operation of my prefects to roust people and their books out, and set minor impots for breaking rules. The staff are dubiously enthusiastic; Severus Snape does produce undeniably good results from his pupils, even those who have NOT been subject to the entrance exam he has now instituted. Growing bodies need a balance of work, rest and play."
"What happens if we have not, with this rule, been able to complete homework assignments?" asked Norman Whytely.
"Then Norman, the staff will know that you are weak on their subject; or if the rest of the essay is strongly written that you have left your strong subject to last and will try to find out what you are so weak on it took you too long to do" said David. "In fact, I would suggest – as has become custom at Prince Peak – you should allow a certain amount of time for EACH assignment and stop after the allotted period; this will then not penalise your strong subjects and will permit the staff to see where you are weak. Those who have weakness may be allotted extra remedial periods but such will be carefully regulated by the staff rather than risking poor health, eye strain or hysteria. Having hysterics as the exams approached was considered normal in my young day; even with some of the sillier girls we started Prince Peak with, we have never had so much problem with better rest and decent recreation. I will too be enforcing breaks in revision over the Easter holidays" he added. "Tired minds do NOT assimilate facts. Harry Potter could have been at least a straight 'E' student, maybe scraping 'O's in more subjects had he not been continually tired from the strain of the ministry's interference and having to counter attacks by Voldemort. He got his grades to be an Auror – mostly because Professor Snape, as his guardian, made him loosen up in his last year after Voldemort was dead. Will you help me out in this – and by setting an example?"
"May I suggest, sir, you might put it to the school that it will be a trial period of say three years?" suggested Gorbrin "If it makes a big difference then it's vindicated; if it makes no difference at all you can forget to rescind it for the good of the health of the students; and if, as seems unlikely because I would never dispute anything Severus Snape decided, it is a disaster you can rescind it. I think it's a good idea; I very rarely work in the common room personally and only if the prep room, being a bit of an all age bear pit, gets too noisy. And now of course I have my study. Are the sixth to supervise preparation to make it a bit more disciplined so the kids actually DO settle down to work?"
"Yes" said David "It's another duty for the prefects; BUT as a reward, I'm setting up four man studies for the prefects as a privilege and a prep room cum library for the sixth in general. I'll set up a dozen studies in case personality clashes make the odd three man study more desirable. You can pick your own study mates and I shan't argue that much if it means a non prefect makes up a fourth, or if none of you are large I suppose squeeze in a fifth; yes Bella Black that means the ubiquitous Belle Marauders as well as the inclusion of Silly Crouch-Jones with Jordan, Stacey and whoever is your fourth. If you HAVE non-prefects I DO require you to have a full study."
"That's fair enough, sir" said Jordan. The three Belle Marauders among the prefects looked pleased.
"So are writing materials banned in common rooms too?" asked Albert.
"No; because of writing letters" said David. "And as I said, SOME judicious research; I'll blink at scribbled notes. Also there are team lists to be made by heads of house games, crossword puzzles and so on. But in general I want to see common rooms places to relax in. This goes for the sixth form common room too; obviously. Hence having your own prep room; which will be known as the senior study and will be open to the fifth as well so long as they use it decently. Any other questions?"
"What if we fall behind because of this experiment?" wailed Porphyria Martin.
"Then any results you attained were false results because you cannot expect to burn the candle at both ends all your lives; and so you are saved the ignominy of failing in your job when you leave school" said David. "Personally I suspect that if preparation periods are used correctly you will find it enhances your work; and do remember that studies will be for studying. If you choose to fritter away your proper prep period in giggle and silliness – I HAVE noticed your predilections, you and your friend Deborah – then you will fail. And because you are coming to the system new I WILL be conducting spot checks on studies; and improper use of them will mean deprivation of the privilege and possibly a loss of prefect status. Very well; I have drawn up a rota for the rest of the term in supervising the various form prep rooms each night. With Saturday included that's eleven periods a week for five years-worth of students; each of you will do one duty each week since some of the periods during the daytime will be supervised by the staff since some of you have, say, the potions dungeon available during the first preparation period. Not very arduous. Now, while we're here, are there any general concerns about the school you wish to bring up?"
There were not; the prefects were too shocked by the sweeping change limiting the chance to do schoolwork wherever and whenever they wanted.
David was unconcerned about their horror; it was needed. It was NOT good for children to sit up half the night doing homework; because that meant they WERE overstretched.
Those like Jade Snape who just absorbed knowledge like a sponge might manage ridiculous numbers of NEWTs; but she managed that ridiculous number within the strictures of the work periods permitted. And if others at Hogwarts were over reaching themselves, he would soon find out.
oOoOo
He duly made the announcement to the school at Supper; and that lockers for their text books would be in place by Monday when the new system would begin; and that the following class rooms had been designated as form rooms for all-house preparation and the rule of working during the set periods would be enforced as strictly as not working during set leisure periods; and anyone who had finished early must tell the prefect supervising in order to be released.
"And as your text books will live in the form rooms you will have no excuse for being without them and having to waste time searching" he said "You MAY ask permission to use the library instead; and you will be on your honour to do so and to do so in a proper manner. I am afraid, however, I AM going to be nasty and suspicious as well as relying on your honour, that you will sign OUT of the prep room for library work and sign INTO the library. And Madam Ermin-Prince will be there to remind you if you are working on into a leisure period. This has worked very well in Prince Peak; and if Jade Snape can get eight NEWTs without violating the rules there is no reason the rest of you should not attain your required results. Indeed, though you may initially drop grades in class if you are used to working all hours, I believe that over time, your result should actually improve. I do NOT consider it proper to be headmaster of a school where half the exam students have hysterics and a significant minority of students appear to be somnambulists for not getting enough sleep!"
"I guess he isn't counting being out of bed for mischief" murmured Niobe to Walter.
"Not hardly; and we'd get stuck with a juicy great impot if we were caught out at that anyway" he said and raised a hand.
"Mr Crabbe?" said David politely.
"What about doing impots and detens sir?" said Walter.
"An important point I suppose for a marauder to raise" said David. "Impositions and detentions WILL eat into your leisure time, Mr Crabbe; lines should be undertaken in the detention room not the prep room; some detentions may be supervised, lines set on the honour system by staff or prefects will be completed either unsupervised in the detention room, or you may find if a detention is already in place you may undertake your own imposition quietly and leave when it is completed. Yes, I know that the chance of walking in on a supervised detention means that this puts a crimp in the style of the ingenious users of self copying pens. Life is hard sometimes" said David. "And too it means that staff can note if any one child IS rather often under detention; because if one of you is writing more lines than you are essays, that means something needs to be done about it; and perhaps some other punishment set, or an underlying cause addressed, whether that means an incorrigibly naughty child, a prefect who has a down on someone, or a misunderstanding. It's all for your own good, my children; and not everything that is good for you is palatable."
"Like Brussels sprouts" came an audible comment from Gryffindor table.
"I LIKE Brussels sprouts" countered a voce from Slytherin.
"Food prejudices aside" said David trying hard not to laugh "I'll be a little lenient while you all get used to it; but after Halloween it will be in full force and no more leniency."
"At least he hasn't banned us from library work without writing in our leisure periods" said Lilith "HOW could we get up to mischief without library work?"
"Do you reckon the headmaster's thought of that yet?" asked Kazrael.
"Huh, of course he has" said Lilith "It's how come Marauders all have ridiculous numbers of high graded NEWTs when they leave school, because they learned all the important principles in the middle school when researching japes!"
"Oh" said Kazrael "So we're allowed to learn in our leisure periods so long as it's not for a serious purpose at the time?"
"I guess that covers it" said Lilith.
oOoOo
Gorbrin did not find the strictures arduous; which, as he pointed out, meant they were not, since he had twice as much prep to complete as Porphyria and Deborah combined since they were taking only two NEWTs each; and Gorbrin was taking eight. It was tight; he admitted that. And he got round it by using a quick-quotes pen and dictating his essays to it that made them quicker to write than doing them manually. After all the purpose of homework essays was to see whether you had understood the issues in class; and had done your subsequent research thoroughly enough. And as Gorbrin had done a lot of his research over the holidays for fun that was something he had already prepared. As well as having read well ahead in the subjects he had taken early at OWL; in potions and transfigurations he was already writing post NEWT essays.
His work on Felix had by its nature to be done when it had to be done, and when Connie Hardbroom could supervise to say that it was all his own work; but that was a given. Metalwork and Art were also two subjects on which the rules were relaxed, for the purposes of the former in booking the metalcrafting dungeon with supervision to work on a project, which meant careful timetabling and civilised behaviour over who used the forge when; and the other because the muse of art like the muse of music could not be regulated in its practical applications. The blanket order was that those subjects requiring set pieces to be produced over a period of time were not subject to restrictions so long as those working on them did not blatantly abuse this relaxation.
"By which he means artists and craftsmen are actually supposed to get a life too" said Albert to Erica. As well as his final metalcrafting piece, in which he involved his divining skill AND geomancy to seek for someone or something on the scrolling map with divining rods – it was essentially finished – Albert was also to brew a potion for his final. Like Lilith he had chosen Veritaserum, that took a full moon; and that meant a complete moon cycle, so Albert and Lilith were both busy consulting almanacs to make sure they had enough time to complete their brewing.
They would each put most of their work into it over the Easter holidays, timing it to start beforehand and finish afterwards for the best results.
Not all the NEWT Potions students would take advantage of using the more tricky potions to brew; Stacey preferred to do well a potion that could be produced in one sitting and was preparing to produce the draught of living death; Meliandra intended producing Liberamore Major but with the twist of several decantings after carefully calculated distillations to cover the effect of Amortentia becoming stronger with time. Meliandra was good at Arithmancy and worked out her own table for extra points. Ming Chang was brewing the fire protection potion that took several weeks through its various stages; and like Albert was producing a master piece for metalwork. Ming's was an extension of the enchanted replay facility of omnioculars; he had spent the year before perfecting a flexible glass strip, by using a one to fourteen proportion of goblin silver in glass, and by smelting the glass using Arithmancy ruthlessly and applying the power of fourteen where he could, the atomic number of silicon being able to be harnessed magically. The original omnioculars used goblin silver mirrors in which to catch and store the replays; by focussing the mirrors onto the specially prepared glass with the thinnest of layers of goblin silver behind it for a mirrored surface, by using spools to wind the strip along, long segments might be recorded. And too it could be viewed a part at a time to be cut and edited with careful enchantment. The trick was getting to view it without having to use omnioculars; but Lucius had given Ming some Wizarding Wireless Vision equipment to work with and the strip could now be copied into the recording globes used to view or transmit by a simple affair of copying mirrors. Ming had almost completed it and was very pleased with it; and Lucius, having obtained a licence from the manufacturers of omnioculars, was about to manufacture a version of it that people might use to take holiday pictures that showed more than waving people on still photos, and might view on a miniature version of his storage globes, or even on their own Wizarding Wireless Vision sets if they had them. It would too make recording for Wizarding Wireless Vision much easier; and Ming was set to make a financial killing as the inventor and developer as well as Lucius doing so over the manufacture and use. Ming and Lucius were each half owners; Lucius having put up the money to obtain the licence AND to get Ming equipment.
Indeed, Lucius had told Professor Jorbal that any student with a bright idea might rely on him, Lucius, for funding on a share and share alike basis, and Lucius to take care of the tedious business of marketing too. Jorbal though it more than fair; most truly inventive craftsmen had as much idea of how to manufacture their ideas as had a fish of how to play quidditch. And with funding, more exciting things might be made! And as Mr Malfoy's business empire was probably one day going to pass into the hands of Gorbrin, who was one of Jorbal's favourite students, that he regretted sincerely was NOT taking the study to NEWT, that was all good.
It was also heartening that the new Headmaster took more than a passing interest in his subject and had begged permission to sit in on some classes too when he had time; David considered it fascinating. As a muggleborn he was quite au fait with scientific principles and technology; and could see much of that in the set formulae of goblin work. And combining muggle chemistry with the magical manufacturing processes seemed to work very well; and that fascinated David too!
oOoOo
The prefects DID enjoy having studies, it had to be said; and were glad to get away into them to do their heavy work load. Not all the combinations were perhaps as convivial as that of the Belle Marauders; but generally they worked very well. And the staff patrolled both studies AND the prep rooms, to make sure the prefects were equal to enforcing quiet work and to emphasise that the staff WERE on the ball and ready to squash any trouble.
The new measure had not been universally popular with the staff; Madam McGonagall was ready to perceive it as a slight to Albus and a suggestion that he had not kept good enough discipline; and David, who had at least always been something of a favourite of his one time house mistress had explained smoothly that Albus had had quite enough to do tightening discipline after taking over from that old fool Armando Dippet – a sentiment with which Minerva wholeheartedly agreed – and when he might have thought about tightening it a little more, Voldemort was throwing a dose of poison into the cauldron as one might say, and Albus had needed to be on his toes more to counter that and could not worry so much about whether silly children behaved to the detriment of their health and good grades. David went on to say that he had discussed it with Albus – as he had – who had thought it a good idea. He did not, for Albus' dignity, add that the previous headmaster had said that he wished he had thought of it first, and if Severus had mentioned it, he would have implemented it earlier.
"Besides" David had added "If I am to be headmaster I should find ways to stamp my own mark on the school; I'd be a pretty poor head if all I did was to be the keeper of the Albus Dumbledore monument to schooling. I'm NOT Albus; I shan't do things in the same way. Some things will have his stamp because he had the training of me; some will bear the stamp of Severus Snape, because he was my guardian and the headmaster for whom I have worked longest; some will have the stamp of Anastasius Smith under whom I trained when we fought Voldemort and under whom I taught for a while at Rowan House; and most will bear the stamp of David Fraser, because he IS who I am. Moulded by others; but not changed. Even as Severus' style is marked by, but not identical to, Albus' style; being trained by Albus and being close to him."
The staff were at least willing to try it; after all there was not one who could say that they had not had trouble with students who seemed half asleep for being up half the night; though as Flitwick said dryly the proof would be in whether those up half the night had been studying or were merely about some unlawful occasion.
oOoOo
Prep was from four until five and half past six until seven every day, with single periods during the day dependant on the electives taken by each student; during which periods most elected to work in the library. There was also an hour and a half period on Saturday evening following early supper at five, from six to seven thirty, after which there was dancing, and the digestion of the youngsters better for an enforced sit down before dancing at that.
There were a few incidents of course.
Like the time that Connie Hardbroom looked in on the fourth year prep room to find Pearl Brocklehurst so deep in a book that she was entirely unaware that half the class was in riot around her. The Pepperingye Marauders had their fingers stuffed in their ears determinedly working; as had a few sundry others while Edward Kettleburn and Orlando Ogden duelled for the attentions of Genevieve Harris, who was ready to forgive them for making prunes of themselves and her two years before for the pleasure of having them at each other's throats over her. Connie determined that this had started because Hazel Spikenard had had one of her visions and had risen to croak,
"Love knows no bounds and braves all terrors and exhaustion; only the willing sacrifice of the heart's blood will overcome" before passing out.
Pearl had been alive to that happening and had sent Hazel to the San to lie down in company with Charis Rawlins, who might not like Hazel but who was capable of seeing her safely to Poppy Pomfrey's nostrums.
Charis had returned in the middle of a whispered argument over what Hazel had meant – Charis knew full well what it meant, it referred to the up and coming twelve-hour chant to free the elves of Europe from the compulsion to self punish – and Kettleburn and Ogren had decided that they needed to demonstrate their undying devotion to Genevieve by being willing to duel and hence metaphorically sacrifice their heart's blood.
Apart from calling them silly drips, the Marauders had not felt that it was in any way their business to separate the pair, especially since half the rest of the class seemed inclined to egg them on.
Those not interested in fighting had accordingly taken themselves to the back of the class making an uneasy truce between the Slytherin marauders and Walter Trimmer. Walter had asked whether they ought not to find a teacher and Nathan shrugged pointing out that if Pearl didn't do anything it was a bit unfair to rat HER up as she was a good sort.
In point of fact, Pearl had become irritated by the whispered discussion on the prophecy long before the boys had got involved and had, instead of forbidding further discussion, which would have been wise, dropped a reversed muffliatus spell on herself to be able to read a tricky piece by Waffling without being disturbed by the maunderings of fourteen year old idiots.
Connie restored order just by coming into the room. She swept her eyes around.
"Those of you who are working may leave when the bell goes to finish prep" she said icily "The rest will be staying; Miss Brocklehurst, for how long has this aberration been occurring?"
When it became apparent that Pearl was not hearing her, Connie went up to the teacher's desk and tapped the prefect on the shoulder. Pearl started and looked up; and went dark red, quickly negating her spell.
"You have a riot on your hands my dear" said Connie "I suggest you go to your study for the remainder of the period; I'll take over."
Pearl flushed again, miserably. Connie did not HAVE to tell her off for dereliction of duty; she knew she had let the staff down. She picked up her books and went quietly away.
"Can anybody give me any timescale of when this started?" asked Connie. There were uncomfortable shuffles. Charis raised a hand.
"It was a little after I returned from seeing Hazel to the san" she said. "Because of her vision; and it was her vision that started the er, discussion. That was at about twenty to seven" she added.
"Very well" said Connie "Let us say the vision started the discussion straight away; allowing Miss Rawlins time to get to and from the san, that is about ten minutes; so seven thirty. Your prep period ends at eight; you have an hour before bed time of leisure. Which you have now lost because you will stay here for twice as long as the disruption – it being but five minutes to the bell – in order to complete your prep. Those who have been disrupted MAY remain for so long as it takes to complete what was disrupted; and will depart quietly when they have done. The rest of you, who like to waste the time of others, may, when you have completed your prep, sit quietly with your hands on your heads."
Miss Cackle's school had not been one in which any students would think of doing homework at inappropriate times; and Connie was glad to see a sensible rule enforced. She considered herself a disciplinarian, and was disconcerted to find that she was considered a soft touch compared to her nephew Severus; but she was not about to be in any respect a soft touch over a near riot!
"It wasn't MY fault, Madam Hardbroom, that those two boys make fools of themselves over me" whined Genevieve.
Connie regarded her with dislike.
"Miss Harris; if it is over you, then you might have stopped this farce with a word. And moreover, had you shown the good sense to ignore the silliness and take yourself to the back of the room with the others who were working hard you would not be sharing their punishment. And perhaps too it might have brought them to their senses. Well! We have the mighty seer starting it off and the three usual suspects at the centre; you have earned a loss of fifty points to Gryffindor, Miss Harris, for whining at me and reminding me whose fault it was. Sit down and get on with your work."
It was not, perhaps, strictly fair to Hazel; but as Hazel had a record of self dramatisation, Connie was not feeling very fair. She felt even less kindly disposed towards the foolish Genevieve, and the girl only had to look at the Head of Slytherin to realise this.
Genevieve sat!